Presenter 360: Translating Courses

Need a course in multiple languages? Articulate Presenter 360's translation features can help with that.

Create and Publish a Course in Its Original Language
Export the Presenter Elements and Embedded Content
Translate the Exported Text
Import the Translated Text into Presenter
Translate Your PowerPoint Slide Content and Notes
Publish Your Translated Course

Step 1: Create and Publish a Course in Its Original Language

First, create your course in its original or native language, including embedded quizzes and interactions. Then publish the course. When the original course is complete, you're ready to translate it.

Step 2: Export the Presenter Elements and Embedded Content

Export a copy of the text strings for the Presenter elements in your course, including embedded quizzes and interactions. Go to the Articulate tab on the PowerPoint ribbon, click Translate, and choose one of these export options:

Export to XLIFF

XLIFF is a file format commonly used for translation services and computer programs.

Give your file a name and click the ellipsis to select the location where you want to save it.
Choose the Source Language that you used to create the course.
Choose the XLIFF Version required for your translation service or program, either 1.2 or 2.0.
Click OK to complete the export process.

Export to Word

Use Word if you're translating text manually. It's easier to read than XLIFF (which is formatted for computer programs).

Give your file a name and click the ellipsis to select the location where you want to save it.
Mark the box to Include "Original Text" column for reference if you want to always see the text in its original language as you translate it.
Click OK to complete the export process.

Tip: Use XLIFF for Lists and Custom Paragraph Spacing

We recommend using XLIFF translation if quizzes or interactions in your course have bulleted lists, numbered lists, or custom paragraph spacing. Word can break formatting and spacing for these features.

Step 3: Translate the Exported Text

After exporting the text from your project, use the resulting Word document or XLIFF file to translate it into other languages. You can use professional translators, an online translation service, or a computer program.

Here are some important things to remember when translating content:

Only modify text in the column titled Translate this column. Leave all other text unchanged.
Don't translate variable references on result slides in embedded quizzes, such as %Results.ScorePoints%.
If you change the text formatting in any way (font, size, color, style, alignment, etc.) for quizzes or interactions, those changes will also be reflected in your project when you import the file back into Presenter.

Step 4: Import the Translated Text into Presenter

When the translation is ready, import the Word document or XLIFF file back into Presenter:

Open your original presentation in PowerPoint.
Go to the Articulate tab on the PowerPoint ribbon, click Translate, and choose Import.
Browse to the Word document or XLIFF file that has the translated text and click Open.
When you see the Congratulations message, click OK.
Review the imported text to be sure it fits properly in your course and make adjustments as necessary. Some languages use longer words and phrases, so you may need to allow more room for the expanded text or reduce the font size.

Tip: A backup copy of your project files (*.pptx, *.ppta, *.quiz, *.intr) will automatically be created in a zip file during the import process, so you can always go back to the original language.

Step 5: Translate Your PowerPoint Slide Content and Notes

The localization process described above lets you translate all Articulate-related items, including player elements (slide titles, navigation buttons, player tabs, etc.), embedded quizzes, and embedded interactions. PowerPoint slide content and notes must be translated separately, using Microsoft Office or a third-party service.

With the many options available for translating PowerPoint content, we decided it was best not to reinvent that part of the process and risk breaking other PowerPoint elements. It's often easier and more accurate to provide translators with a copy of the PowerPoint file rather than extracting its text, so they can translate it in context with the other slide objects.

Step 6: Publish Your Translated Course

Finally, publish your translated course.

If you shared your PowerPoint file with a professional translator, make sure it's reunited with its corresponding Articulate files before publishing. The PowerPoint file (*.pptx) must be in the same folder as its related Articulate project file (*.ppta), and they must have the same file name. For example: Effective_Reviews.pptx and Effective_Reviews.ppta